THE OBAMAS COVER ESSENCE MAGAZINE

The Obamas are covering the September 2008 issue of Essence magazine. In the issue the Obamas talk about family life,among other topics. Michelle Obama says this about her family’s relationship to its neighborhood on the south side of Chicago: “For all of this wonderful madness that comes along with our lives — the Secret Service, the cars — there are kids on Forty-seventh and King Drive who can walk two blocks and be that close for the first time to somebody who can be the president of the United States. I love that.” (SOURCE)

I have to say they apologized to the Japanese people for making them build the railroad and gave the $20 G’s. The apologized to the Jews and paid them reparations and they apologized to the Indian and gave them casinos. They wronged us way longer and a couple of hundred years ago and it took them so long to apologize because they were afraid we would ask for reparations. Even if we do get some if they give us money without the knowledge to build on it, it would be all for naught.

I thought that he wasn’t going to put his family in the public’s eye either…but when you think about it, they will be exposed to the public either way. It kinda comes with the package, so I guess that it would be better to have it done by their own choosing.
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Anyway,

@Maryamb…long time friend.

To answer your question…I did watch Black in America (awesome)…thought-provoking. About the congressional apology…I found it SUPRISING that they even thought to apologize but felt that it needed to be followed up by some kind of recompensation (40 acres and a mule)…

I haven’t been directly affected by slavery (with me being 1st generation Nigerian-American) so, the closet event that I could relate to was the Biafra War of Nigeria (a civial war) or the mass genocide in Rwanda with the Tutsis and Hutu…mass killing, destruction, seperation of families, etc.

…with those events taking place, a simple apology would NOT be enough…**just had a thought**…but at the same time, the apology would be taken with a cold heart…and I would have decided to move on.

I’ve been on blogs and discussed the debate on Congress apologizing for Slavery/Jim Crow laws. They are way late on the slavery apology but the Jim Crow apology, in my opinion, was much needed. My grandpa had to go through that and he appreciates it even though it’s not a check. Some white people feel it’s unnecessary, but they didn’t have to go through things black people went through.

Like Maryamb said, the Japanese got their check, the Hawaiians got their apology, the Native Americans got a patch of land and exempt from taxes, I think (some) Black people deserve an apology too.

@Maryamb…first I apologize for getting your name wrong… sorry! I haven’t posted the blog yet (I see now that my comment was confusing… I meant that people could probably find the series at CNN.com…my blog is on wordpress. When I post, I’ll send you the link. 🙂

As far as getting my name wrong I am used to it. Maryam is not a common name. One of the reason’s I love it. Even when I tell people how to spell it they put to n’s. My name is the Arabic form of Jesus’s mother’s name Mary. It also so means bitter sweet. I can attest to both. I am a very sweet person unless you take my kindness for weakness then the claws come out. LOL. My maiden name was Thomas which means twice blessed and my married name Bennett means blessed. So I am three times blessed. I have a beaautiful healthy family, A good strong marriage and Great friends. I always heard that words have power and I have to say I so believe that.